Baba High School

Baba (Dari) means “respected elder” or “grandfather.” Bamyan Baba School is co-ed, enabling girls and boys to attend class and exercise outdoors together in an atmosphere of trust and respect. The school is now K- 9th grade. Indoors: includes 14 classrooms, computer lab, small library, principle's/teacher's office and maintenance room. Outdoors: For exercise time the students have plenty of open playground - volleyball court, sturdy gymnastic bars and swing/slide sets, and ample space for football (soccer) practice!

Baba School is growing rapidly. It now has over 300 students! Approximately 20% come from lower income homes which cannot afford the monthly tuition. They pay a sliding scale fee as determined by the Department of Education. Many of these scholarship students are girls.

The student body consists of grades 1-9 and will be expanding to 1-10 in 2017. Its curriculum includes math, science, history, geography, physics, Dari, English and Pashtu literature. English language and computer skills begin in first grade.

The school will grow into 12th grade by 2019. Upon graduation, many graduates will apply to the nearby, well respected Bamyan University. Baba School is licensed, its activities are monitored by the Ministry of Education. Results of three 2016 inspections were all “excellent”.

Historically, Bamyan is the most peaceful province in Afghanistan. Creating a private school to offer quality education was the goal of NZ PRT (New Zealand Provincial Reconstruction Team) and USAID Gender and Economic Development Advisor Mary Jae Abbitt and her family after leaving Bamyan.

Direct Aid International [DAI, a 501(c)(3)] has been a key partner. The collaboration began in 2013. Now in late 2016, students, teachers, administrators, donors and the community are participating in, and enjoying, the result of this hard work created in 2010 by founder Amina Hassanpur.